Al Pacino reportedly will play Joe Paterno in movie about Penn State scandal

A talent agency reportedly plans to shop a movie about the Penn State scandal, and they reportedly have Al Pacino signed up to play the role of Joe Paterno.

Deadline reports that ICM Partners will be shopping the proposed movie next week. Pacino’s manager is set to produce it, and the movie will be based on author Joe Posnanski’s biography “Paterno,” about the Penn State coach.

Paterno was fired as Penn State’s football coach in November after the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal was revealed. Paterno reportedly had been working on a package to step down at the end of the year, but he was forced out earlier after the outrage grew over his role in the scandal.

Paterno died in January, less than three months after he was fired as head coach of the football program. He was 85. The NCAA later penalized Penn State and vacated 111 wins Paterno achieved as a football coach, dropping him from 12th to second on the all-time list.

Dateline has little doubt that the movie will be bought and come to fruition. Given all the interest in the subject matter, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it go into production before long.

Pacino has experience acting as a football coach from his role in “Any Given Sunday.”